Sunday, January 01, 2012

HAPPY NEW YEAR blogger friends! I hope you have a Wonderful 2012, filled with everything you wish for.... and more.

These next two photos are for my friend Martine in Australia:

ABOVE: Teddy and Coco looking a bit scruffy, they get groomed next friday.

ABOVE: my friend Jacqui's gorgeous wee girl, Sofia Grace.

ABOVE: Sofia being serious...

ABOVE: Jacqui and her darling wee girl. It was so lovely to see them all last night. Babies grow up so fast... it's a shame they do that.

So today... I think it will be a quiet day at home... though I might just go out and buy a 'normal' mop so I can clean the floors! Yep, I so need to clean my floors! Hot, sticky feet on them ... leaves lots of footprints. Ikkkky.

Well... we went out and bought a new bucket and mop. Thrilling purchase of the year so far!

ABOVE: now the BIGGEST decision so far this year. Do I follow the 'Points' system, or embrace the new 'Pro Points' system?I cannot make up my mind.I'm so used to the 'Points' system, and it worked for me last time. OPINIONS PLEASE. *** THIRD OPTION! Count calories?

On track today, feeling positive. New year. New start.

DECISION: and..... after much consideration, I'm going with Pro Points FOR NOW. The main reason is because Stew and I will be going to WW meetings, where they will be sprouting the Pro Points spiel, so in order to be 'in sync' with the meeting/current method, we will do do Pro Points.I just have to get my mind thinking the new way, read up on all the books, points values etc. One thing that I won't be doing though is calling all fruits 'free'. I know for a fact any fruit in excess will add up to lots of points due to the sugar content.At least Stew does not have all the 'old' information in his head! He should be able to adapt to the Pro Points system easier than me.I am going to keep the carb count low, not eliminated completely... just low. It's going to be a LIFETIME change, not a DIET.I suck at diets.

End of Day: going to be HAPPY with my decision... Pro Points all the way.Wish us luck.nite nite

Teddy looks mischievous in that shot, Sofia Grace has a I've been her before wise face lovely eyes, surprise visits are nice I bumped into an old school friend last week we haven't seen each other for 8 years and then only once in 13 yrs I cried!!! She has moved back to Taupo when I saw her we are catching up when xmas new year settles down.

Happy New Year Chris. I'm like you ....a new lifestyle.....have proved to myself it works :)Not sure where you get them but I did see one on "trade me", it's a mop & bucket!! The bucket has 2 compartments and a step on thingit that spins the water from the mop so you can choose how wet to have it. I saw it used in Aus and it did do a good job.....better than than a sponge mop. Those bissel steam mops do leave a lot of water....Steph's one drove me mad cause you ended up having to have a towel to dry the floor as yo went. That was too much hard work for me!!!! I know Jo's first one was an aqua lazer (I think) and it was grat until it broke. She has a Bissel now but not sure if she likes it.Anyway I'm rambling.......so again Happy New Year and hope to see you soon. :)

Oh, DON'T drop the carbs!!! You were miserable when you did that with good reason! Your body NEEDS good carbs! Just start counting your points and do this in moderation! That's why WW works!!!! LOVE YA!

I started the new Pro Points system this time last year ... found it quite difficult and never really got into it. In August I went to the Biggest Loser Aussie website and joined there, did my own calorie counting and used their food diary and lost 15kg up until Christmas. I now find counting calories a way easier option to having to try and convert stuff into points. Now after a week of naughtiness I am back on track as of today to complete my journey, I have decided not to waste $20 a month online anymore and am using another tracker on my computer to diary myself.But different things work for different people I think I have finally found my thing.

I'm with Kittie... drop carbs and sugar etc. You can still do WW low carb. No need for "no carbs" just chose carbs like pumpkin, kumera, veges, some fruits etc. Don't forget there are lots of excellent carbs and fibre in foods that are not wheat, potato or rice. I notice Cranky said that your body needs carbs - actually carbs is the one thing your body never needs because it makes its own glucose from other foods. You need protein and fat to survive, not carbs.

One question you have to ask yourself - if WW worked then why do you need to do it again? Clearly it did not work (I read that somewhere recently and it made me think). I could even say that WW worked for me about 5 times... lol, clearly not though as I only got fatter and fatter. I do believe it can work but the whole "diet" mentality is just so wrong for me because it makes me obsess about food. I know we all have to figure out what works for us though so good luck this time. You clearly like the structure and accountability of doing it this way.

I love the pro points when I do it well. I also love being able to do it online, if I had to track on a piece of paper I would not do it properly. So for me Weight Watchers online with pro-points is the way to go. I love the flexibility it gives me especially when I go out for lunch like today. I love it to that my iPhone and iPad has the WW app so no matter where I am I can track.....

Have an awesome 2012, I know you can do this whatever way you go especially with Stu joining the party :)

Happy New Year!!! I have been on and off WW for so long I just cannot commit to it again. The book you saw on my blog says to count calories so as of today I am doing that. It says not to eat pasta but all other good carbs like brown rice and wholegrain bread are fine (I turn into a monster without my carbs). I am so excited about this book and there are plenty of pictures of Shannan 2 hmmmm. Good luck Hun this will be our year!!

We are doing low carbs and using www.Fatsecret.comWhere we can count cals. I love that it is free and unlike a lot of other sites it has a good range of NZ food, I also like it's weight tracker and that you can also form groups and do it together.

AS I have said before, I am totally against low carb diets because as soon as you start eating them again back goes the weight. Also it is not the answer to a change of lifestyle which is the only way to loose weight and keep it off. I have to loose weight so I can have surgery later this year, so far in 4 1/2weeks I have lost 6.5kg. Thats with Christmas, (I didn't go overboard) I worked out scientifically how many calories I need just to exist by using the Harris Benedict Scale, That works out to 2400,to loose 500g per week I need to eat 500 cals. less per day, which brings my calories needs to 1900, I am allowing myself between 1600 and 1700 per day which means I should loose 800g to 900g per week. If I could exercise I could eat more calories or if I choose to eat less calories I would loose more. This works for me, I believe that calories in, calories out is the only way you can really judge your intake. I used to be a big fan of Weight Watchers until they started changing everything, making it more confusing and telling you fruit was free and then telling you fruit was only free if you eat so much.

Sorry about the soap box preaching, but I know how hard it is too loose weight and keep it off.

I'm mixed on this too Chris. If the old points system worked, then it makes sense to do it again if you didn't find it too restrictive. Having said that, I have heard great things about ProPoints. Since I can't find my new book at the moment I am thinking old Points this time, then if I need to change things to get through a plateau, etc. I can always change to the new one. As for carbs, I get what Lynda is saying but if you do decide to have them, good complex ones have got to be better than white processed ones, don't they?

By the way, HAPPY NEW YEAR Chris and family, and also to all your friends out in blogger land... hope it is a good one for all of us! Penny xo

Happy New Year. I don't know how to live without carbs. Or sugar. Or count calories. Why does losing wt have to be so hard? I haven't yet plotted out a plan to lose my wt. Must start today. Good luck to you Chris.

points pro have caused many a head ache for those I know tht have tried them stick to the one u know works for you...I remember u bought a lot of the books last year so u should have plenty of resources available. I do recommend the heathly food magazine its a wee treasure for healthy living

Loved reading your post and all the comments. I was just thinking about ww too but was also thinking about doing something new. I can't/ won't give up carbs. Thinking maybe just counting calories and eating what I want.

Use the current one! It was updated for a reason and you get 49 points to splurge once a week...and all the new recipes etc are in pro points. Fruit is 0 points and will get you through the day. The old one worked for you but so will the new one!

Interesting comment from Maggie - the whole point of going low carb/moderate carb is to do it forever, not stop. It is a total lifestyle, not a "diet". I'm sure we will up our carbs to a little more when we have achieved our goal but we will never add back wheat and always keep an eye on what foods are spiking our blood sugar. I do think that whatever we chose to do with regard to food, it has to be a forever lifestyle choice.

I think you can go lower carb but don't think you can do it with the WW products etc. I was the BIGGEST carb eater in the world and it is not that hard - I follow a book called the 17 Day Diet and it's brilliant. Fast weight loss in the first 17 days then you slowly introduce other foods... Yet the first 17 days are easy peasey!!! Honestly, it gives you such a boost both physically (4.5kg in 17 days and that's what makes you keep going) and mentally also. Full of energy etc.

If you are keen, please send me an email....

Today I have had a huge steak for tea with a yummy salad with egg etc. and fried mushrooms - so yum and not deprived at all...

Anyway - could go on and on and on... just watch the WW foods... eg: their icecreams are very low fat but SO high in sugar - waaay more than Tip Top etc. same with bikkies etc.

Anyway- your decision and it is SO great that stew is doing it too - will make it easier.

Chris, seems like you have made up your mind. I went to Slimming World (UK). It worked for others, but it didn't work for me. Huge losses from everybody but I just put on, not alot but nevertheless, I put on. Everybody is different and so is their body metabolism. I have decided to count calories. I thought 'to heck with counting Syns system' (abit like point system). I still believe that if you write down what you put into your mouth, count the calories and just discipline yourself not to go over, then I am sure one can accomplish some sort of weight loss. I am just sick of the way I feel and look that I am taking charge. Good luck with your weight loss to and to everyone else. Let 2012 be the year for weight losses!!

ME AND STEW

Both struggling to lose weight and be healthier. Parents of 6 adult 'kids' and 13 Grandkids. We have raised two of those grandkids since their births and they are now 15 and 16. We recently took on the care of their little sister who is 4 as well.

WHERE I LIVE:

New Zealand, it's in the South Pacific... and it's NOT a part of Australia! We are home of the All Blacks rugby team, the Kiwi (bird, but can't fly) and lots of bloody neat people!